Pants topper



April 5, 1960 A. BRUNIER PANTS TOPPER Filed July 22, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 ARTHUR BRU/WER,

INVENTOR.

A TTORNEY.

A. BRUNIER PANTS TOPPER April 5, 1960 Filed July 22, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 MNN ARTHUR BRUNIER,

INVENTOR.

A TTORNEK April 5, 1960 A. BRUNIER 2,931,546

' PANTS TOPPER Filed July 22, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 ARTHUR BRU/V/E'R,

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEK April 5, 1960 A. BRUNIER 2,931,546

PANTS TOPPER Filed July 22, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ARTHUR BRUNIER,

INVENTOR.

A T TORNE K PANTS TOPPER Arthur Brunier, La Crescenta, Calif.

Application July 22, 1957, Serial No. 673,393

12 Claims. (Cl. 223-73) The invention relates to a pants topper for pressing the upper portion of pair of pants.

The invention makes use of a horizontal support onto which the pair of pants may be slipped in relation to a pair of pleat pressing units each having a buck and a head, with provision for admitting steam and hot air into an inflatable bag over which the upper portion of the pants is fitted.

The use of an inflatable bag and its advantages are well known including the formation of a smooth fabric without creases except where the pleats appear and without causing the pockets, fly or buttons to form undesirable creases in the fabric.

As the pants may be of widely different sizes, with the result that the pleats near the waistband have different spacings, it is necessary or desirable to provide an adjustment for the separation of the buck and head units. While this problem has been realized heretofore, the prior solutions have the objections that it either takes too much time to make the adjustment or once the adjustment is made, it is not maintained without the attention of the operator.

One object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable control for the separation of the buck and head units whereby the pleat setting adjustment can be made through a wide range, an operating handle accessible when the operator is standing at the front of the machine serving to operate each buck and head pair as a unit to vary the separation of these units, this separation being self maintaining until again changed by the operator.

The complete pressing operation includes the use of a topping machine, such as here disclosed, as well as a conventional pressing machine for pressing and creasing the leg portion of the pants. These operations are performed at different times, according to prior practice, whereas according to the present invention, one operator jnited States Patent can carry onthese operations at the same time, with Y a greater output. For this purpose,- the invention provides a topping machine wherein the pleat setters or head and buck units are not only readily adjustable. but remain in adjusted position without the attention of the operator. Also the application of steam and heated air fordrying may be self cycling, on closing a switch, so that the operator is not required to be at the machine during its operation. r

The admission of air and steam may be controlled in any suitable manner. Further featuresof the invention relates to an adjustabl'e support for the head to suit goods of different thicknesses, a latch device for removably holding the head in pressing position, a guide on the bucks for the pockets and pants, and an improved draw string casing on the bag for fastening the bag to fit and remain secured to the top of the bucks.

For further details of the invention, reference may ice in elevation, partly in section of a pants topper according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 showing the steam coils and their relation to the buck and to the air outlet. Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view with parts broken away showing the adjustment for the buck and head units. Fig. 4 is an enlarged view in side elevation of the buck and head portion of the machine shown in Fig. 3. Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are enlarged side views in elevation, with parts broken away showing the head and its latch in different positions, for one of the buck-head units, the other unit being the same.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view on line 8-8 of Fig. 5. Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing a pair of pants in position on the machine and Fig. 10 is a similar view with the pants removed and showing the buck of each of the two units and the bag.

Fig. 11 is a sectional view of buck and bag.

Referring to the drawings, the pants topper 1 comprises an upright casing 2 which may be a framework of welded angle iron, one of the uprights being indicated at 3, and covered by sheet metal 4 at the front and back and covered by a screen 5 for ventilation at the side and top. The casing 2 has a laterally opening outlet air pipe 6 to discharge air from blower 7 operated by motor 8, the air being heated by fins 9 in the steam supply. The steam supply includes a pipe 10, see Fig. 2, arranged in the shape of a fork and having parallel arms 11 and 12, the steam constantly passing through the pipe 10 and through its end portions 13 and 14 which have return bends like 15 and 16 each having fins 9, in order to heat the air when discharged from the outlet 6. Each of the arms 11 and 12 is itself a return bend which embraces the branches like 17 and 18 of another fork 19, the branches 17 and 18 having a series of holes or ports like 20 and 21 for discharging steam as determined either by the operation of the automatic timing switch 22 in the top of the casing 2 (see Fig. l) or upon operation of the foot pedal 23, the items 22 and 23 controlling the solenoid 24 of a valve 25 in circuit with the fork 19. By having constant circulation of steam through the pipe 10 and its arms 11 and 12, condensation is prevented or reduced in the branches l7 and 18 and the platens or bucks 30 and 31 associated with the arms 11 and 12 are maintained heated. As shown in Fig. l, the steam pipe assembly 10, 11, 12, 17 and 18 is stationary, being'connected to conventional piping while the buck 30 is movable above the arm 12, the other buck 31, see Figs. 5 and 10, being movable above the other arm 11.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 10, around the air outlet 6'is fastened the open end of a cloth-bag 32 being fastened by cord or the like 33. Thisbag has holes 26, ,27' see Fig. 10) in it for the brackets 34 and 35 forthe bucks 30 and 31 respectively. Each buck has a perforated plate bemade to..the drawings, wherein, Fig. l is a side view steam from the arms 17 and 1.8 of the fork 19. ..There is enough looseness in the bag adjacent the air outlet 6 to permit the lateral adjustment of the headandjbuck units, the buck 36) as shown in Fig. l having a head 40, see also Fig. 3 which shows a head 41 for -the buck 31, shown in Fig. 3 without padding. The head 40' and its buck 30 are also shown in Fig. '41 Q' The buck 3t) and its head 40 as a unit are"mounted on the left end of a rack 42 as seen facing the'machine' in Fig. 3, while'the buck 31 and its head '41'a's aufii't" are mounted on the right end of the rack 43. "Th'e'rack's 42 and 43 slide through'apertures-M and 45 in a block 46 secured to plate 47 by screws like 48 and plate 47is fastened to the frame ofth'e' machine by serews-lilce 49.

The racks 42 and 43 are operated by a gear on a shaft 51 having a handle 52. Racks 42 and 43 have a slide bearing in and are guided by hearing block 46, these racks sliding on top of and being supported by the horizontal base plate 47, see Figs. 1 and 3 to 8.

As shown in Fig. 8, the gear" Silis housed in a recess 53 in the block 46 and the shaft 51 is journaled in the bearing hole 54 in that block, and. in bearing 28 in plate 47, see Fig. 8.

The plate 47 serves to guide the head and buck units 40---30 and 41--31 for movement in a straight line under control of the handle 52 and for this purpose, with regard first to'the head and buck unit 40-30, as shown in Fig. 4, apertured buck plate 36 is secured to bracket 34 which is fastened by screws like 55 to one end of a slide block-or carriage 56 which has a recess 57 to fit the top andleft edge of plate 47, slide 56 having an underhang58 secured thereto by screws like 59, the 7 block 56 and its underhang 58 thereby providing a slide bearing groove 60 which rides along the edge of the plate 47. An upright 61 is secured to plate 56 by screws 62 and 63. Slide-56 is secured to the left end of rack 42 .by a screw 29, whereby both the slide 56 and the upright .61 are moved with the rack 42, the head 40 also moving therewith as it is secured to a bearing block 64 which has a hinge connection provided by the bolt 65 with the upright 61.

At the back of slide 56, or left end as seen in Fig. 4, an arm 66 is secured to slide 56 by screws like 67. ,A tension spring 68 is secured at one end to arm66 as shown at 69 and its other end is connected to an eye 70 on the block 64 to retract the head 40 when released by its latch 71. a

The head 40 is in the form of an arched spring plate 76 and-fixed thereto is a threaded stud 72 which passes through a hole not shown in the supporting arm 73 and clamped in adjusted position by the nuts 74 and 75 at opposite sides of the arm 73. By operating these nuts in an obvious manner the height of the head 40 can be adjusted to accommodate goods of different thicknesses as required. Plate 76 is prevented from rotating on the threaded member 72 by means of a bolt 77 which is clamped to plate 76 by means of nuts 78 and 79, bolt 77 passing through a hole in arm 73, with enough distance under the head 80 of this bolt to allow the plate 76 to operateas required. Arm 73 has the handle 81 here shown as a plastic ball.

Arm 73 is fastened to the underside of bearing block 64 by screws like 82. The latch 71 is fixed to the latch arm 83 andpivotally mounted in the block 64 as shown :at 84. Arm 83 has a handleshown as a plastic ball 85 to operate the latch 71 to latched position with its notch 87 engaging-pin 86 on block 56, when the head is brought into pressing position by handle 81. Handles 81 and 85 are closely adjacent to each other and to nut 74 at substantially the same operating position. The head 40 is thus positively locked in pressing position by the'latch 71 and head 41 is locked by a similar latch 38 whereby the presence of the operator is not required to maintain the head 40 in pressing position. The supporting construction of head and buck unit 4131 is similar to that shown and described for the other unit in connection with Fig. 4, the carriage or slide block 90 corresponding to slide block or carriage 56 beingjconnectcd to the opposite end of the rack-43 by screws like 91, the corresponding end of rack 43 being likewise fastened to the block 90. Each rack also slides through a hole in the carriage or slide block for the other rack, rack 43 sliding through a hole 93 in the slide block 56 and the rack 42 sliding through acorresponding hole 94 in the slide block 90. The front edge of plate 47 is flush with the front of casing 2 and slide blocks 56 and 90 overhang the casing front. 6

when the head 40 is;r aised;;see Figs. 5 ,to 8, the inner end 95 of the bearing block 64 strikes a resilient bumper 96 mounted on a screw 97 carried by upright 61.

As shown in Fig. 1, the timing switch 22 is set in operation by a starting switch 100 to control motor 8 and solenoid valve 24, 25 in any suitable manner. Also independently of the timing switch 22, the foot pedal 23 may be operated to operate the solenoid valve 24-25, by a suitable circuit not shown, to apply steam initially for example to soften the goods or remove an unwanted crease.

The machine may be operated to top pants as follows:

(1) Fasten fiy buttons or snap and pull up zipper; (2) pull trousers over bucks 30 and 31 and the bag 32; (3) set pleat by hand in trousers on one buck; (4) bring head of that buck down and lock in place with latch 71; (5) set pleat by hand in trouser on other buck; (6) bring other head down and lock in place with latch like 71; (7) turn hand adjuster 52 to position buck and head assemblies or units to desired width according to the size of trousers. Each head is always in line with its buck, traveling in or out with it to desired position; (8) when pleats do not easily fall in place, an electric foot switch 23 is provided to energize solenoid operated steam valve 2425 which gives quick steam through bucks to soften goods and easily position pleats; (9) operate start switch 100 for automatic timer 22 which cycles steam and hot air operations which sets in pleats and steams and dries the upper part of trousers both front, back, crotch and sides; (10) operate handles like 85 to trip head release latches like 71 to allow the heads to retract to upper position; (11) trousers are removed and placed on adjacent press for creasing or legging of trousers; (12) cycle now ready to be repeated.

In sliding a pair of pants onto the bucks, the pockets may have a tendency to slide off the outer sides of these bucks, and to prevent this and guide the pockets onto the bucks and also to guide the pants onto the bucks, the guides 107 and 108, see Fig. 3, are provided. These guides may be of metal or other material and are mounted on brackets 109 and 110 in front of and below the level of their respective bucks 30 and 31. In assembling the bag 32 in position on the bucks and their pads, this is done at a time when the guides 107 and 108 are removed from their brackets 109 and 110, the bag being provided with suitable apertures like 111 in Fig. 1 through which these brackets extend. Thereafter, the guides 107 and 108 are bolted to their brackets by bolts like 112 and 113 and each guide is provided with its own pad and a bag-like covering as shown at 114 and 115 respectively in Fig. 1.

Those portions of the bag 32 which overlie the bucks 30, 31 are held in position by a casing 116, see Fig. 12, sewed into the bag 32. A draw string 117 is arranged in the casing. The opposite sides of the casing 116 are spaced apart a distance such that this casing will underlie the bottom of the bucksuch as 30 as shown in Fig. 12 and the same applies to the other buck. The casing 116 has its ends adjacent the inner ends of the bucks so that the draw string 117 can be tied or fastened as indicated at 118 and 119 as shown in Fig. 10.

Various modifications may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A pants topper comprising a horizontally extending buck and cooperating head, a slide support forboth said b c an aid hea a s. pportine arm .fo sa d he a pivot co ne io b we n sa am andsfls s id support anda positivelock comprising a latch member having a pivotal connection with said arm and a cooperating catch member on said slide support for positively locking said head in pressing position with respect to said head, saidlatch member having an operating arm having a handle, and a handle on said supporting arm for said head.

,2. A-pants topperaccording to claim 1, said head comprising an arched spring plate having fixed thereon an upright threaded stud, said supporting arm having an aperture receiving said stud and nuts on said stud on opposite sides of said supporting arm for clamping said supporting arm to support said arched plate in adjusted position below said supporting arm to suit different thicknesses of material to be pressed between said head and said buck.

3. A pants topper comprising a support extending in a straight line, a pair of slide blocks slidable on said support, a buck and head unit carried by each of said slide blocks, distance-maintaining adjusting means for varying the separation of said slide blocks and a positive lock device for positively locking each of said heads at a desired separation from its said buck, each of said lock devices comprising a latch member having a notch and a cooperating catch lug between each of said units and its said slide block.

4. A pants topper comprising a pair of head and buck units, means supporting said units for movement toward and away from each other, a handle operated gear means for moving said units to distance-maintained selected positions and a handle-operated positive lock device on each of said units and on its said supporting means for positively locking each of said heads in fixed pressing relation to its buck.

5. A pants topper comprising a base plate, a pair of carriages slidably mounted on said base plate, a bearing block on said base plate between said carriages, said bearing block having guide ways extending parallel to said direction, a rack slidable in each of said guide ways, opposite end portions of said racks being secured to said carriages respectively, said racks being arranged side by side and having gear teeth on adjacent sides thereof, a pinion in said bearing block between and in driving relation with the teeth of said racks, a handle on said pinion, each of said racks sliding on and being supported by said base plate, each of said racks extending through an aperture in the carriage for the other rack, and a head and buck unit carried by each ofsaid carriages.

6. A pants topper according to claim '5, each of said carriages having means providing a slide bearing groove which rides along an edge of said base plate.

7. A pants topper according to claim 5, said handle for said pinion having a bearing support in said base plate and in said bearing block.

8. A pants topper according to claim 5, each of said carriages having a depending bracket for the buck of its said unit, a head for the buck of each of said units, each of said head having a bearing block, each of said carriages having a post, and a pivotal connection between each of said last mentioned bearing blocks and one of said posts.

9. A pants topper according to claim 8, a latch piv= otally carried by each of said last mentioned bearing blocks, a catch therefor on the associated carriage, each of said latches having a handle extending above its associated head, and a handle on each of said heads, the latch and head handles of each of said units being adjacent to each other.

10. A pants topper comprising a casing having an air outlet having a steam pipe in said outlet, said pipe having arms projecting therefrom in spaced relation, a buck adjacent each of said arms, each of said bucks having a head, a carriage for transporting each of said bucks and its head as a unit, means guiding said carriages for movement in a straight line and means comprising a rack on each of said carriages, said racks being arranged side by side and having gear teeth on adjacent sides, and a pinion between said racks and in driving relation with the teeth of said racks for operating said racks in opposite directions for laterally adjusting the position of said carriages to thereby vary the separation of said buck-head units.

11. A pants topper according to claim 10 comprising a supporting connection between each of said bucks and its said carriage and a bag fitting on said air outlet and over both of said bucks, said bag having apertures through which said supporting connections extend.

12. A pants topper comprising a plate having a straight edge, slide. blocks movable along. and guided by said edge, oppositely extending parallel straight racks, said racks having teeth on adjacent sides thereof, each of said racks being affixed to one of said slide blocks, a bearing block on said plate, said bearing block having spaced apertures slidably receiving said racks, a pinion rotatably mounted in said bearing block between and in driving relation with the teeth of said racks, said pinion having an operating shaft, and a buck and head unit carried by each of said slide blocks, each of said slide blocks having a through aperture for the rack affixed to the other slide block.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,259,145 Sharp Mar. 12, 1918 1,672,701 Vauclain et al. June 5, 1928 1,680,891 Ledbetter Aug. 14, 1928 1,748,555 Kinney Feb. 25, 1930 1,775,940 McBride Sept. 16, 1930 2,239,572 Richa Apr. 22, 1941 2,348,264 Reece et al. May 9, 1944 2,428,484 Bowen Oct. 7, 1947 2,476,363 Foster July 19, 1949 2,521,297 Littell Sept. 5, 1950 2,7l3,957 Stribling July 26, 1955 2,726,021 OBoyle Dec. 6, 1955 

